Archive forNovember, 2006

Ala, her father and I just got back from a walk around the grounds at the local college. It’s sixty-eight degrees here in MA, which is really odd for the last day in November. So we thought we’d take advantage of the warmth. To my euphoria, there were labeled trees everywhere! Right away we found an American Elm, which got me really excited- thanks to the Dutch Elm disease, there are few Elm trees in Maine. I could not remember having seen one, and I’d actually been talking about said trees with Keturah recently.
We also found what I was certain were sycamores- but they were labelled London Plain! Can anyone shed some light on this mystery?
Aha! I just did some research, and it appears that the London Plane tree is a hybrid of American and Oriental Sycamores. And I also just learned that what we consider Sycamore is not the same thing Zacchaeus climbed. That was likely a fig tree, or Ficus sycomorus. I’d always assumed it had been imported.
We also saw Tuliptree, Zelkova, and a huge Ginkgo. One of the most interesting, however, was a birch-like tree with flaking, bright orange-gold bark. I looked up all the varieties of birches but didn’t find one that fit. Anyone know of a tree that fits this description?

We also passed the greenhouses, and I found a plant that I later learned I had correctly identified as horehound. I found that exciting, as I’d never actually seen the plant outside of a book or magazine. There was also a stream with an interesting waterweed floating in it…so I’m off to look that up!

Yesterday, Keturah and I went botanizing.
Mom dropped us at Jewel Falls, a place my family used to spend a lot of time, and we set to work identifying trees. I really enjoyed it. We brought along our tree books, and we weren’t ten feet into the woods before we sat down and began taking notes. We found American Beech, Red and White Oak, Maple (though because it’s fall, we couldn’t tell if it was Sugar or Norway), Paper Birch, Gray Birch, Hemlock, Balsam Fir, and a huge tree covered with Bittersweet. Along the road we also identified a silver poplar.
When we arrived back at home, I pulled out the round book, and we started on a complicated Christmas round that is comprised of five parts and eight or so well-known Christmas carols.
Then I went to chorus. It was a disaster, actually. We sounded better before we tried to sound good. We’re singing Vivaldi’s Gloria, which most of us have done before and I still have memorized, but yesterday as we tried to put the parts together we couldn’t do it at all. I could’ve cried, it was just so bad.
I had a nice day, though. I got a few compliments on my appearance…my shoes and the way I had my hair…I’d forgotten that looking nice can be a pleasant feeling.

Sunday afternoon Mom and I went to a local university to see a performance of folk music by a group that shipped over from Karelia, in Russia and Finland. I’ve been really interested with that area for a while now, so it was fascinating. Made me wish I lived in a country with more heritage.

I haven’t posted much lately because I really don’t have much to say. Ironically I’ve kept a diary every day for almost two months, I seem to find things to say there, but I can’t come up with anything here.

If you feel like it, pray for me. I’m a little lonely. Most of my friends are busy with their other friends, and even my internet friends are often too busy to talk to me. It’s kind of rough, especially since tomorrow is Wednesday, and being home alone all day I have little to do.

But my cousin has been emailing me lately, and that’s really nice. I don’t get to see him much. And I’m starting a Christmas sewing project tomorrow, so hopefully that’ll take up some extra time.

Somehow bloggers must find a balance between the whiny “Sorry for not posting…not that anyone cares” and the arrogant “Who wants a post? You want a post!” *
In any case, I haven’t posted for a week.

Saturday- Huge rain and wind storm. We went out to Fort Williams to watch the waves. The wind was strong enough to blow my Mom over, and I clutched Dad to stay on my feet. The spray from waves hitting the rocks was a mere three feet shy of the top spire of the lighthouse at some points.
Sunday- Kendra, Dad and I sang a trio in church and got many compliments. It was nice. Sunday School was laid back and I got hyper.
Monday- Went to the dentist, where they informed me that I needed braces, per usual, and that I needed half a million teeth pulled, not usual.
Tuesday- Went to chorus and threatened to set Mrs. Libby on fire.
Wednesday- Played outside with Jordan and Than.
Today- Babysat for the Teddars. Came home and dealt with AU work, went to Math group. Came home feeling very lonely indeed.

I…don’t really have anything to say. I hope everyone’s having a good week. If you have anything you’d like me to pray for, please let me know.